Packaging-machine.



N. M. LA FORTE.

PACKAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3.19M.

1,1 84,1 08. Patented May 23; 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

jimm /Z? r; W W i /WT 5 @JJ' a N. M. LA FORTE.

PACKAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATiON F!LED AUG-3, 1911.

Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" UNITED STATES PATENT oF uoE.

NORBERT M. LA PORTE, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CROWN CORK AND SEAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A COR- PORATION OF MARYLAND.

PACKAGING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed August 3, 1911. Serial No. 642,098.

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packaging-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in packaging machines.

The invention has for one of its objects to produce an improved packaging machine employing means for supporting and advancing a group of containers by a step by step movement, the machine including devices for lifting a part of the group of containers away from the support in order that the packaging operation may be carried out with respect to the part of the group so lifted.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved packaging machine employing a support along which a case or tray holding containers may be advanced, the machine including devices by which con,-

tainers may be lifted with respect to the case or tray in order to enable the packaging operation to be effected.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved feeding mechanism for packaging machines by which a case or tray of containers to be packaged may be advanced.

The invention also extends to certain details of construction which need not be here specifically referred to. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements and combinations as will be hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings':Figure 1 is a side elevation of a packaging machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the lifting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing the construction of a certain locking mechanism wiich may be employed. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views of a valve mechanism which may be employed, the two views showing the valves in different positions.

The machine which has been selected to illustrate a concrete embodiment of the invention is a machine in which the packaging operation performed is the application of metallic closures, such as the well-known crown cork, to containers, though the invention may be employed in connection with machines in which a packaging operation or operations other than or additional to the application of closures is carried out.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates" a selecting hopper of a well-known type in which the closures are thrown in a mass, the hopper being supported on standards 2 forming a part of the frame of the machine. In the particular construction illustrated, the closures are delivered through chutes 3 to a row of closure applying heads 4, these heads being mounted on a bracket or cross-bar 5 supported on the standards 2.

As the specific construction of the crowning heads and feeding devices have no relation to the present invention, further description or illustration of them is unnecessary.

Machines embodying the invention will include means for supporting a group of containers. In what are regarded as the best constructions embodying the invention, trays or boxes will be employed in which the containers are held, these trays or boxes being placed upon the supporting. means and moved along it by a step-by-step movement, so as to bring parts of the containers in each tray or box successively beneath the packaging devices. The containers shown are bottles, marked 6, these bottles being held in position in boxes or trays 7 which have a grid bottom formed by wires 8, the bottles being also held spaced from each other by spacingwires 9. Boxes of, this kind are well-known in the art, being commonly used of the boxes or trays 7 which are placed upon them.

The means for giving the boxes or trays a step by step movement so as to advance the boxes or traysin such a way that parts of I the group of containers'held in each box may be successively presented to the packaging devices, may be varied within wide limits. In the particular construction shown, it comprises a feeder which consists of two side bars 13 connectedby a centriilly disposed cross-piece 14 and end cross-pieces 15. Means will be provided which ,may be varied Widely in construction by which the feeder, whatever be its construction, may

engage the boxes or trays, when the machine is constructed tooperate upon boxes or trays. Inv the particular construction shown, each of the side bars 13 is provided with a plurality of pawls 16 (see Figs. 4 and 5) secured in recesses 17 in the side bars by pins 18. The pawls are normally held in vertical position by springs 19, and one wall of the recesses is cut away, as shown at 20, to permit the pawls to be forced back against thevtension of the springs 19, so that their tops will be level with the tops of the supporting rails 11. A stop, as 21, is provided which limits the movement of the feeder bars 13 in one direction,'and a stop, as 22, is provided which limits their. movement in the opposite direction. The pawls extend up through the slots in the ribs 12 and it will be understood that with the construction as described, if the feeder frame be given a reciprocating movement the pawls 16 will successively engage a box or tray and give it a step by step movement along the rails 11. The spacing of the pawls and the movement of the feeder frame is such that, in the machine illustrated, successive rows of bottles in the case 7 will be brought beneath the closure applying devices 4. 1

Machines embodying .the invention will include a lifter which operates to raise the parts of the groups of containers into operative relation with the packaging devices. The construction of this lifter mechanism and the operating means therefor may be they will be operated by suitable connections from a suitable source of fluid pressure, not shown. In theparticular machine illustrated, the operation of both the feeder and the lifter is effected by hand controlling means. When hand controlling means are thus employed for effecting the operation of the lifter and feeder, the construction of in the slot 33. The sleeve and rod are surrounded by' a stiff spring36. As the lever is rocked it will be understood that the feeder frame will be moved .in the direction of movement of the lever, and when it reaches the limit of its movement, in the direction to th left of the observer, see Fig. 1, two of the pawls 16 will snap up under the stress of their springs 17 and engage the box or tray. As the lever is moved in the opposite direction, the tray will be advanced to bring the next row of bottles under the closure applying devices. It will be understood that the space between the pawls is sufficient to advance the boxes 'a distance equal to a row of containers for each stroke of the lever. The means for operating the lifter will, in constructions embodying the invention in its best form, include a con troller which. determines the time of operation of the lifter. While the construction of this controller may be .varied'and will vary according to, the construction of the lifter operating means, in the construction illustrated it comprises a double ported valve 37 working in a casing 38 which has connected to it a pipe 39 leading to any suitable source of fluid under pressure, and pipes 40 and 41, the pipe 40 leading by proper branches into the chamber beneat the two pistons 23, and the pipe 41 leading by proper branches into the chamber above the two pistons 23. Thecasing is also provided with an exhaust pipe 42. As theconstruction is shown in Fig. 7, the valve 37 is so turned as to connect the ports into which the pipes 39 and 40 lead. so that fluid will be admitted below the pistons 23, the valve also permitting communication between -the ports into which the pipes 41 and 42 lead, so that the fluid above the piston is exhausting through the pipes41 and 42. As the construction is shown in Fig. 8, the valve is turned so as to connect the ports with which the pipes 39 and 41 register, fluid being thus admitted above the pistons, the fluid below the pistons exhausting through the pipes 40 and 42, the construction of the valve effecting a connection between the ports with which these pipes register.

In the best constructions embodying the invention, the controller mechanism, whatever be its form, will be operated from the means by which the feeder is operated. While the connections by which. this is accomplished may be varied, in the particular construction illustrated, the stem on which the valve is mounted .is provided with a pinion 43 engaged by a rack bar 44 supported in hangers 45 secured to one of the side rails 11. The endof this rack bar, is provided with a head 46 which is in the path of an arm 47 formed on the head 28 before referred to. The spring 36 before described as being located between the heads 28 and 31 is strong enough to efiect the feeding operation. With the parts as shown in Fig. 1, therefore, as the lever 25 is moved to the right, the first operation will be to cause the case or tray to be advanced so as to bring a row of bottles beneath the closure applying heads. When the feeder frame has completed its movement, the spring begins to be compressed, this being permitted by the pin and slot connection between the sleeve 33 p and the rod 34. This permits the arm 47 to be brought into contact with and to operate the rack bar 44 which turns the valve into the position shown in Fig. 7, .this causing the lifter pistons to be raised and raise the row of bottles which has been positioned. As the movement of the lever is reversed, the first operation isto turn the valve into the position shown in Fig. 8, this being effected by a returning spring 48 which surrounds the rack bar 44 and lies between the head 46 and one of the hangers 45.

When a construction like that which has been described is employed the pistons 23 may be provided with a slotted lifter head 49, as shown in Fig. 3, the slots in this head being so positioned as to permit the head to pass the wires 8, 9 which support and space the bottles or containers in the tray.

In the best constructions embodying the invention, a lock will be provided to insure that the feeding movement of the feeder frame does not take place until the lifter mechanism has retired out of way. The construction and arrangement. of this look may be varied but as shown it embodies a beveled spring bolt 50 held in a socket 51 secured to one of the feed bars 13 and so located as to engage the lifter head 49 on the side toward the lever 25. If any attempt is made to move the lever. to theright before the pistons have dropped, the locking bolt which is in engagement with the head 49 when the pistons are up, will prevent such movement.

Changes and var'iationsmay be made in the construction by which the invention is carried into effect. The invention is not, therefore, to be confined to the particular construction herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. In a packaging mechanism, the combination with a support for a case or tray of containers along which the case may be moved, of a feeder provided with case en-', gaging means, a lifter operating on a pluj rality of the containers in a case, a power operated means for actuating the lifter,

hand actuated means for operating the feeder, and connections operated by the hand actuated means for setting the power operated means into operation.

2. In a packaging mechanism, the com bination with a support for a case or tray of containers along which the case may be moved, of a feeder provided with case engaging means, a lifter operating on a plurality of the containers in a case, a power operated means for actuating the lifter, hand actuated means for operating the feeder, connections operated by the hand actuated means for setting the power operated means into operation, and a lock for preventing the operation of the lifter actuating means until the-feeder mechanism has completed its operation.

3. Ina packaging mechanism, the combination, with a support for a tray' of containers along which the tray may be moved,

of a feeder, a plurality of spring-held pushers mounted on the feeder and so spaced that when the tray is engaged by one, others are depressed by the tray, means for operating the feeder to cause the pushers to successively engage the tray, and means for reciprocating the feeder to an extent less than the length of the tray in the direction of its movement.

4. In a packaging mechanism, the combination with asupport for a case or tray of containersalong'which the case may be moved, of a feeder having case engaging devices, means for actuating said feeder, a

lifter operating on the containers in the case, actuating means for the lifter, and meansfor locking-the feeder agalnst operation when the lifter is operating.

5. The combination with a row of pack 'agin 1 the lifter, means for giving the case or tray In testimony whereof, I have hereunto a step by step advancing movement along set my hand, in the presence oftwo subthe support, a controller valve, operating scribing Witnesses.

connections between the controller valve NORBER-T M. LA PORTE. 5 and the advancing means and a lock for Witnesses:

holding the advancing means against move- JAMES Q. RICE,

ment when the lifter-is operating. J. A. GRAVES. 

